I checked them out briefly when they came out with the affliction and were posting a lot about it on facebook. They seem legitimate, but straight from China so I'm guessing the kite is a carbon copy of something from a real brand. It looks a lot like a 2011 or 12 switchblade. Not really something I'd support.

If you're just looking to save money, I'd recommend getting something from a reputable brand that is a year or two old. Used kites are fine, lots of people just like to upgrade every year, or try different kites out and then sell the "old" ones.

If you really want brand new gear, there's always Switch Kites. Same deal pretty much, you end up ordering them straight from China - but it's a legitimate brand you can actually get support for if something blows up.

I have never seen or flown their kites, but I did meet Raisin from Maelstorm at Surf Expo a few years ago- they had a booth (are a legitimate company) and they all seemed like nice guys. At the time, they were only doing boards and soft goods /water wear.

Maelstorm have been around for about five years now and are a sponsor of the KTA tour. I worked with Maelstorm through my kite school in Vietnam. I purchased about 12 of the affliction kites which we had branded with our school name on. I used the kites for 2 seasons in the school and was super happy with them. With over 600 lessons per year going through the school. We beat and bashed theses kites on the beach and in rough shore break. Having working with many brands over the years these kites were as good as any if not better in terms of quality of construction durability and value for money. I can also confirm they come from a major brand manufacturer factory and the material used if Tenjin. They might not have the kudos of other brands but they do the job and they do the job well. Value for money and they perform.

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